


sitting in chairs with boys

by Emilys_List



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-30
Updated: 2004-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:35:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilys_List/pseuds/Emilys_List
Summary: in every situation, there are moments of thought, word and action.





	sitting in chairs with boys

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**sitting in chairs with boys**

**by:** emily’s list

**Character(s):** josh, donna, moss family members  
**Pairing(s):** josh/donna  
**Rating:** ADULT  
 **Spoiler:** a tiny one for 20 Hours in America  
**Disclaimer:** you will recognize some characters; i don't own those. any characters that make you go, "huh?" those are the ones that i made up :)   
**Summary:** in every situation, there are moments of thought, word and action.  
**Author's Note:** the title of this fic and the summary are directly stolen from the amazing "songs for a new world" by jason robert brown. 

"And I want two... ohhhhh... two children." 

"One." 

"We could compromise." 

He was sitting in his favorite chair in her apartment. It was very un-Donna; a big leather club chair. He had somehow talked her into purchasing said chair earlier in the day. 

He was a man of many visions. And this was pretty accurate to what he had visualized. 

She straddled his naked hips, her body rising and falling on his erection. She gripped his shoulders, allowing her to be steady as she moved. He had one arm around her body while his other hand stroked her clit. 

Her eyes were closed but he watched her. 

"I want a lawn," she moaned. 

"There are no lawns in Georgetown." 

"Yeaahhh... four bedroom Victorian in Virginia." 

"Wraparound porch?" 

"...what? Okay, deal." 

"No minivan." 

"Okay." Then, "Charlotte and Cassandra." 

"Who?" 

"The two children." 

"Uhhhh." 

"Charlotte -- Charlie. Cassandra -- Cassie. It's cute." 

"Sophie." 

She smiles. "Liam." 

"Jonah." 

"Celia." Although she enjoyed this wishing exercise, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable to be discussing baby names while fucking Josh on her new chair. "You know, I think we should..." 

"Yeah, this little game's starting to get freaky." 

The phone began to ring. "Uhhh ignore it." She kissed his temple and rubbed her fingers along one of his nipples. 

He emits a small noise, and returns her rubbing by licking around her nipple. "The ring is... annoying." 

"Ignore it," she gasps, feeling her orgasm start to build. She grabbed the back of his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as her body shook with her climax. 

The machine clicked on. "Donna, it's Mom, honey, pick up." She slumped against his body. 

Josh reached for the phone. "Nora, we'll call ba--" His face fell, and he pressed firmly against her back so she'd look at him. The look in his eyes as he glanced away caused her to rise off him. She went to the couch and wrapped her naked body in an afghan. She felt cold. 

He did a lot of nodding before he handed the phone to Donna. He pulled his pants up, his erection present but somehow forgotten. He walked to her bedroom. 

"Mom?" 

"Honey. Your dad. He..." Donna heard a stifled sob. "He had a heart attack. He's gone." 

\+ 

Josh got dressed and found her clothes to wear. He packed her suitcase. He held her as surprised sobs wracked her body. He made flight arrangements. He drove them to his apartment so he could pack a bag, and on the w ay he called Leo to let him know they'd need a couple of days off. 

He walked her zombie-like body through the airport and onto the plane. He talked her out of the third whiskey sour. He held her hair and rubbed her back as she vomited in the air sick bag. 

He told her he loved her, over and over. 

She didn't smile once. It was like she wasn't even there, her eyes looking far off in the distance. 

\+ 

They approached the gate. Josh noticed the woman he'd seen in pictures, and he steered towards her. 

"Sara," Donna whispered when they reached the woman. 

Sarafina Moss-Mitchell was tired and weary, managing only a small smile for her younger sister. She put her arms out and Donna finally detached from Josh; she fell into Sara's arms. 

The sisters stood in their embrace as Josh hung back awkwardly, hands in his pockets. They were limp in each other's arms yet somehow managed to hold each other up. 

Sara pulled away first, looking into her sister's eyes and brushing hair off of her forehead. "It's impossible. This perpetual blondness. It's not normal, Ella." Donna moved backwards and let herself lean against Josh again. 

"Sara, this is Josh Lyman." He shook her hand and she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. When she pulled away, she looked at the stiff expression on his face. 

"Sorry. Josh. I feel like I know you, feel like you're family." She smiled, shrugging her shoulders and picking up Donna's duffel bag. Her sister shook her head, imploring her to hand the bag over. Josh took the bag briskly. 

"Not a problem. Let's go... where do we need to go?" He slung his bag over his shoulder and took Donna's hand. She glanced over at him, admiring his obnoxious take-charge attitude for the first time since she'd met him. Sara began to walk towards the exit with the couple trailing behind her. 

"Where's Jeff?" Donna asked. She realized after she asked that she didn't really care. 

"At Mom and Dad's watching Cooper," Sara replied. She shuddered a bit after she spoke the word 'Dad.' Her shoulders seemed to be drooping, and her whole person seemed deflated. 

"Cooper is your daughter?" Josh inquired, a hint of condescension in his voice. When Donna had mentioned her new niece years before, Josh had made several cracks on what he felt was Cooper's unfortunate name. 

"I don't have the time or energy for smarmy wisecracks, Josh. I don't have to defend giving my daughter an unusual name, although I should point out that I did it after thirty-two hours of labor and lots of drugs." They approached the car that Sara had parked haphazardly and Josh sheepishly climbed in next to Donna. 

"She doesn't usually get that uppity," she whispered as her sister loaded the bags into the trunk. "When she gets wound up, though... it just gets unattractive. Like that. Just ignore her, that's what I do." 

Sara climbed in, her new parking ticket in her hand. "Motherfucker," she muttered as she threw a CD into her stereo. She tossed the ticket on the seat as Paul Simon's voice fluttered through the speakers. Pulling away from the curb, she glanced in her rearview mirror. "Are you two going to neck in the backseat?" 

Donna's head, which had been resting against Josh's shoulder, immediately moved. "I can sit next to you. This was just... automatic. Sorry." Sara waved her hand dismissively. 

"Ella, not a problem. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to bust you a bit for acting like a twelve-year-old. Next, maybe you two will walk around with one hand in the other's back pocket?" Sara smiled sweetly at her sister while Donna fought the twelve-year-old urge to stick her tongue out at her sister. 

Josh felt silenced by embarrassment and awkwardness, but he didn't let that get him down. Especially because Donna was leaning heavily against him, and she needed him strong and without fear of her sister. "You got here pretty quickly, Sara. How long's the flight from Seattle?" 

They stopped at a red light, and she looked behind her to glance at Josh. "We were visiting Mom and Dad. It's Cooper's fifth birthday." She stepped heavily on the gas as they moved from the intersection. "Today. Her birthday's today." 

"Did she like my gifts?" 

"Yes, Donna, thank you. You're the only person who gave her one fun gift and one educational gift." 

"It wasn't intentional to--" 

"Yeah, Ms. Anal Retentive, they were practically labeled." 

Donna let out a small laugh, but it felt hollow so she put a hand to her mouth. She closed her eyes. 

"So you call her Ella," he asked. She opened her eyes. 

Sara cocked her head to the side, smiling into the open road and the early morning. "When she was born, I didn't like her very much. I called her Donnatelephant. Eventually the beginning and end of her nickname faded away. Just Ella." 

"Why didn't you like her?" Josh asked, his attention engaged. 

Donna buried her face in his shoulder as Sara answered the question. "She was cute, and little and new. I liked being an only child, and she busted that up for me." 

"When you call me that, it causes my self-confidence to take a plunge," Donna remarked sullenly. 

"I'm okay with that," Sara replied, turning on to the street where they grew up. Donna stared out the window, looking at trees and pieces of sidewalk that made up the memories of her childhood. 

"I used to call her Fi-Fi, so I guess we're even," the younger woman offered. 

Sara let out a cough-slash-chuckle. "I forgot about that. Fi-Fi or Na-Na. Why you couldn't master 'Sara' is just beyond me." 

Josh looked in the rearview mirror and realized the similarities between their smiles. His chest tightened to think of sisters. 

His arm around Donna pulled her closer, and her eyes darted up to meet his. "I don't know if I can do any of this," she said. He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. 

He didn't feel he was good at being the strong one. 

\+ 

Josh had spent the day with Cooper Moss-Mitchell, and he was worn out. 

"Five-year-olds are exhausting," he mentioned to Donna as she got ready for bed. She pulled her shirt off and yawned. He stared at her from his horizontal position on the bed, wanting to be of comfort but not sure how to do that. "Our five-year-olds aren't going to be tiring, are they?" 

She sat down on the other side of the bed, facing away from him. "Josh, what are you doing here?" 

He wasn't sure what she meant by that, so he attempted humor as he moved to lay on his side. "Donna, did you just realize that I came to Wisconsin with you?" 

Her shoulders slumped with exhaustion, in the same way her sister's shoulders had drooped earlier in the day. "I appreciate you being here. It's very sweet but you have work to do." 

"It's fine with Leo, I have a light schedule this we--" 

"Why do you think you can lie to me?" she asked, turning to face him. "I know what your schedule is, and even if I didn't, you're the White House Deputy Chief of Staff. You never have a light schedule." She looked down, annoyed, and realized she was still wearing a bra and was dressed from the waist down. She got up to unzip her pants, and his eyes followed. "You need to be at work. I can drive you to the airport tomorrow morning." Donna finished undressing, and stood still for a moment, shutting her eyes. 

"I appreciate your want to get rid of me, but it's not going to work. I want to be here for you and you're going to want me here anyway. I should just stay." Josh got off the bed and picked up her robe. "Don't shut me out," he said faintly, helping her into her robe. 

She tied the sash around her waist tightly, her gaze landing on the flowered wallpaper of her old bedroom which had become a guest room. "I'm not shutting you out. I need a shower." 

He moved closer, putting his hands on the silky orange material of her robe. "You already took one," he reminded her, threading his fingers through her damp waves. Donna sighed, leaning against him. His hands fell around her waist. 

"You have work to do. You have a meeting with leadership tomorrow at 3:30. You can just make it if you--" 

"You need me here. And I need to be here," he whispered in her ear. He kissed her neck and she thought about how unusual his selflessness was. 

Donna turned around in his arms so she was facing him. "I do need you," she admitted. "I'm not used to that." She looked away. He held her tighter and her chin came to rest on his shoulder. 

"Today was hard on you?" he finally asked, pulling away from their embrace to lead her to the bed. She laid down and he went to her suitcase, looking for pajamas. 

"Sara and I kept arguing and Mom had nothing to say. We argued through making funeral arrangements and visiting family and... I just want to go home, Josh." He pulled out a long sleeved shirt and flannel pajama pants, and he turned to look at her. 

"I know, honey," he said quietly, sitting next to her on the bed. He helped her pull her robe off and put on the pajamas. "This is what I did earlier. I got Cooper ready for bed, just like this." She flopped on the bed. 

"Good for you, Josh, would you like a sticker?" 

"I was just commenting on the fact that I am skilled at dressing women," he replied, lying down next to her. Donna's hand drifted to the hem of his boxer shorts, and toyed with the material. 

"Thank you for taking care of her. Sara and Jeff just felt that they both needed to--" 

He held his hand out and put it on her upper chest. "I know. I was fine." He smiled. "She asked me about getting a cousin and I promised her we were working on it." 

Donna laid on her back and his arm fell to her middle. "So we're serious about the baby thing." 

"And the marriage thing." 

"Yeah." 

"Good." 

"Good." She sighed. "I'm so tired, Josh." 

He kissed her cheek, and then her shoulder. "Go to sleep." 

"I don't know if I can. Too many... thoughts to think. Mom's been so quiet, and she hasn't cried, but I know it's just a matter of time." 

"Before what?" he asked. 

"Before she explodes," she replied sleepily. 

"Ah." 

\+ 

The last guest left at eight PM. They collapsed in the living room, having little to say to each other. Nora sat in her arm chair, her granddaughter draped in her lap. She smoothed her hand through Cooper's dirty blonde curls, staring into space. 

Sara got up, unable to be still. She went to clean up the kitchen, and Jeff followed her after she gave him a look. 

Donna sat on the couch, paging through an old scrapbook. Josh watched over her shoulder, and tried not to feel tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days. 

"You looked good with braces," he said quietly. Nora looked up, a bemused smile lighting her face. 

"I don't know what you're so smug about. I've seen naked baby pictures." He gave her thigh a thump, and left his hand there. With his other hand, he rubbed his eyes. "Getting tired?" she asked. 

He looked at her, trying to appear insulted. "It's nine o'clock." 

"It's actually eight," she replied, turning the page without looking up. "Time zones, Josh." 

"I don't know what you're so high and mighty about, Miss Indiana. You didn't know either." Nora gave them a curious look, but her eyes fell again to her grandchild. 

Josh looked down at the page. Nora, James, Sara and Donna Moss smiled up at him. The family was sitting on a beach, but their alabaster skin was mostly covered to prevent sunburn. 

"Where was this pict--" 

"Hawaii," she answered, not taking her eyes off of the photo. "I was in high school. Mom." 

Nora looked to her daughter. "Yes, dear." 

"Would you mind if I took this with me? I'll make copies and then send the album back." She was asking, but expecting her mother to agree. Nora let her eyes settle on her daughter's sad eyes. 

"Of course. You don't have enough family pictures in your apartment." She stood, lifting Cooper so her little body wrapped around her torso and her chin leaned against her grandmother's shoulder. Cooper mumbled in her sleep and Nora rubbed one hand soothingly on her back. "Come on, baby, let's put you to bed." She said her good nights to Donna and Josh, and headed out of the room. 

"Love you, Mom," Donna called. 

Her mother stopped in the doorway, and sighed. "I love you, too," she said, her voice thick and emotional. 

Donna watched her mother go, and she closed the album. Josh stood to stretch his legs, and he wandered over to a roomy wing chair. He sat down, leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw Donna staring at him and crying. "What's the matter?" 

She shook her head, putting the album next to her. Her tears began spilling down her cheeks as she tried to speak. "That's his... he used to... Dad would..." Josh understood what she was saying, and immediately tried to get up until she shrieked. "Stay there... it's okay." 

Donna got up and stood in front of him. She sunk into his lap, and he wound his arms around her. "Dad would sit here and read," she told him sniffling. "When I was little, I'd grab my quilt and sit with him. He'd read aloud from the paper or a novel. He liked George Orwell. Or he'd read horribly boring history books about the Declaration or the War of 1812." 

"Horribly boring?" he asked, inhaling the smell of her shampoo. 

"At the time, I found it horribly boring. I confess. I don't think a six-year-old gives a damn about Reconstruction. Anyway. I'd sit here, leaning against his chest. I would feel him breathe, and I'd fall asleep." She closed her eyes. She was happy to be leaning against Josh, but she wished with all of her heart that it was her father and that she was six again. 

"My dad had a chair like this, too. Maybe it's a requirement," Josh said. 

"He was too young. He ate well, he exercised..." She shook her head. "It still feels unreal. When is it going to feel real, Josh?" He held her tighter. 

"It's probably going to hit you when you don't want to deal with it. But I'll be there." 

She shifted in his lap so she could see his face. "We're going to get married and have kids. And then someday, you and I will die." 

"I don't think that being married and reproducing will make us die, but yeah, Donna, one day we'll probably--" 

"I'm starting to think kids are a bad idea," she said, moving out of his lap. She went to the closet and started rummaging around. 

"Kids are a... bad idea? When did you start... thinking about this? Donna, what are you doing?" She pulled her head out of the closet, triumphantly waving her quilt. 

Nora had made the quilt when she was pregnant with Donna. It was an Amish Star pattern of earthy reds, greens and browns. She inhaled the smell of the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders as she settled back into his lap. 

"The last time I talked to my Dad, I told him I loved him. And we had a good conversation. We laughed a lot. I don't know what I'd do if I hadn't been so lucky for that last talk," she told him. 

He closed his eyes. "I don't feel like I got a last moment with my dad . You're lucky." 

She put one arm around him, his head coming to rest against her chest. "He was proud of you and he loved you. What else do you need?" she asked quietly. They were silent until his breathing become deeper, ragged. 

"People die, Donna. That's why we have children. A new generation to complement those who dying. When we have children, I know I'm going to feel invincible and mortal at the same time. It's the price we pay." 

Donna settled fully against him, nestling her body closer to his. "You should do this with our daughters. Cassiopeia and... Ainsley." 

"Look, I love Ainsley, but we're not naming one of our -- oh. You were being sarcastic. A little Donnatella Moss wit, right there." 

"Yes." She kissed his cheek. 

"I think I will do this, with little Estella and Medea. Hey, we should probably have triplets. Just to beat Toby and Andie." 

Donna closed her eyes and smiled. "Well, for the sake of the contest, let's have quintuplets." 

"I'd hate to make Antigone and Helen feel less important." 

"Helen...?" 

"Helen of Troy. Sorry." 

"Yeah, it's past your bedtime for the night." 

Yet they didn't move. He closed his eyes and they listened to each other breathe. 

+the end+ 


End file.
